The Assessor
by Mariposa.Miribilia
Summary: For the final year Alpha students, their time at H.I.V.E. is drawing to an end. But before they are let loose upon the world, they must undertake one last test - an assessment vital to their induction into G.L.O.V.E. But who is their mysterious Assessor? And what will she mean for all of their futures?
1. Exams and Other Surprises

**(A/N) Hellooooo reader! This is my first fanfiction - advice is welcomed, and flames are welcomed slightly less enthusiastically, but welcomed none the less. **

**It's set after Aftershock (looong after), just a month before the Fab Four graduates from H.I.V.E.**

**This is already up on the H.I.V.E. forums, so apologies if you've already read it there.**

**Read, review, and most importantly - enjoy!**

* * *

"Finally time is it?" Otto gave Laura a smile as he sat down at a desk behind her and Shelby.

"Yeah, you feeling as nervous as I am?" Laura asked, glancing at the door.

"You're kidding, right?" Shelby said. "Compared to exams this is gonna be a breeze!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Otto said, "Doctor Nero seems to really be playing up the importance of this thing. You know, as 'critical to finding our position in the world of super villainy after H.I.V.E.' and all that."

The Alphas were coming to the end of their final year at H.I.V.E. They might have been wondering of they were going to miss the place that had become home, were they not being worked so hard by all of their teachers. Not only had they just finished their final exams – the exams that would play a huge part in deciding their career – but Nero had announced that the class would undertake one last assessment before they left the school.

"Well it's all fine and dandy for braniacs like you two, but some of us actually struggled in the exams. I couldn't make head or tail of the science-technology paper." Shelby complained.

"Aye, but even I found that one a wee bit tricky," Laura replied, "and remind me, who got full marks from Ms Leon in their Stealth and Evasion Practical?"

"Well there is that…" Shelby grinned.

"Really?" asked Otto.

"Yep – said she'd never seen anything like it!" Shelby couldn't keep the smug tone out of her voice.

"I bet she hadn't." Otto smirked. "Tell me, how many of my… err, projects… that you nicked did you end up using?"

"Hey! I wouldn't need your gadgets to crack that safe – they're for quick and dirty jobs." Shelby grinned, "But Ms Leon wasn't after a clean job, just a speedy one, and if I did happen to have some code-breaking stuff of yours in my possession, well, you should have kept it under lock and key knowing that Aunty Shelby's biggest exam was coming up! Not that a lock would have stopped me, of course."

"Hey Wing! Come and save me from these two!" Laura called as the tall Asian boy entered the classroom, followed by Nigel and Franz. "The witty banter is becoming insufferable!"

"Don't worry Laura, we'll bring you back from the world of unendurable wit and into the land of Boring – someone's been taking exams waaaay to seriously." Nigel gave Laura a little smile, which she returned.

Wing thought he saw Otto frown slightly, but it was gone in a moment, replaced by his usual grin.

"I am developing my most serious and cutting-edge mind. We are being needing to keep our focus on studying, no?" Franz said.

"I was under the impression that exams are over." Wing said dryly.

"Ja, but the test-most-serious is still to come!"

"Speaking of which," Otto cut in, "does anyone know who this infamous Assessor is going to be?"

"No idea," Shelby said, "which is like LAME when it's apparently so important and it's TOMORROW!"

"You know, I bet they're just making it up to keep us under control until the end of the year." Otto said.

"That seems somewhat unlikely." Wing frowned.

"Here comes Nero, maybe he'll finally tell us something. It's only a day to go, after all." Laura said.

"Yeah, let's see if we can get anything out of Mr Secretive for once." Otto grinned.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Nero addressed the class, "as I'm sure you are all aware, your time at H.I.V.E. is nearing an end. In just one month's time you will graduate and be let loose upon the world. Exams are over –" at this the class let out a small cheer, "and all your teachers are trying to cram into their classes all the things that they think you will ever need to know. And yet I tell you that this will not be enough. There are some things that can only be taught through experience. Many of you have been involved in several missions that you weren't supposed to be involved in, and this has afforded you exceptional experience in the field. With this in mind you will undertake your last assessment item. It will be completely different from any other you have ever done. The exams may have given us an indicator of your academic strengths, and yet they have not taken into account your personality or field experience or belief in what G.L.O.V.E. stands for. It is on these things that you will now be tested."

Nero smiled grimly at the confused looks on the students' faces. They had no idea what they were in for over the next few weeks.

"Tomorrow an independent assessor will arrive at the school and, after due consideration, they will decide what role in G.L.O.V.E. you will be best suited to. They will decide who in G.L.O.V.E. will take you under their wing as you begin your careers in super villainy. They will decide your initial rank and role in the organisation. They will decide your immediate future. So good luck, and do try to impress."

Nero ended his speech. As if in cue, the bell sounded and Nero left the stunned group of Alphas to their own imaginations.

* * *

**So... what do you think? More coming shortly...**


	2. Some Bad News

**(A/N) Sorry it took so long to update! What can I say, exams are lame. But that's no excuse and I hope you enjoy reading this next instalment I should be able to update far more frequently now it's nearly holidays :) **

* * *

Otto knocked on the door of Nero's office, and decided that he did was in this position altogether too frequently for his liking. In his experience, attracting the headmaster's attention was never a good idea. The door slid open, and Otto took a steadying breath before he walked into the room, taking a seat in the leather chair across the desk from Nero.

"Evening sir!" Otto said brightly. "So tell me, what have I done this time?"

Nero smiled slightly. "I'm afraid that this time you haven't done anything, Otto… at least, anything that I know about. No, I wanted to speak to you about the upcoming assessment."

"Oh good," Otto relaxed slightly, knowing that he wasn't in trouble, "I wanted to talk to you about that too. Do we get to find out who our Assessor is, or is it a surprise?"

"I'm afraid that that is precisely the problem that I wanted to talk to you about. I received confirmation earlier this evening of who it is going to be." Nero frowned. "You must understand, Mr Malpense, that this is strictly confidential information. You should not know this, and you are not to tell your friends what I am about to tell you under ANY circumstances."

"Okay, sir." Otto looked confused, and a little concerned. "But if it's so secret then why are you telling me this? Not that I'm complaining, of course" He hurried to add.

"I'm telling you, because I think that you deserve to know." Nero looked Otto straight in the eye. "And because, Otto, it could put you in a lot of danger."

* * *

"Danger?" Otto asked, confused. "I thought that the Assessor was coming to help us into our career."

"That's what they're supposed to do, yes. However, I'm usually the one to pick the Assessor, and I always make sure to pick someone whom I'm sure is completely safe and impartial." Said Nero.

"Wait, you mean you didn't pick this year's Assessor?"

"No. I didn't."

"Then how-"

"They contacted me and requested the job. I was hardly in a position to turn them down." Nero explained. "I was struggling to find a candidate – few wanted the job, especially with such a… controversial group of Alphas."

"With such troublemakers, you mean." Otto grinned.

"There is that," Nero smiled, "I won't deny that your friends are quite a handful. But there was also another problem. I may not have had the authority to turn them down."

"What do you mean?" Otto asked, confused. "You're the head of G.L.O.V.E. – you outrank everyone."

"Technically, yes, I do. But the person who contacted me never really had a rank in the organisation, they just… well, held it together I guess. They had complete and uncompromised access to any information they wanted, and were obeyed by all on the ruling council… and yet they had no actual power. We knew them only as the Record Keeper. They are an elusive character. We reported all our plans to them, and they made sure we had everything we needed to make them work. They collected the organisation's cut of all our profits and made sure we never paid late. They kept track of everything going on in G.L.O.V.E.; administrating and infiltrating and orchestrating, all behind the scenes. No one has any idea who they really are. They could have been on the ruling council, they could be completely independent, they could have been working for any of us."  
"So they're dangerous," Otto frowned, "but I still don't understand sir, why are you telling _me _this?"

Nero sighed. "Because no one has heard from the Record Keeper since Number One's fall from power. The Record Keeper was possibly the only person that Number One ever trusted. They were his right-hand man. Somehow I doubt that it's a coincidence that they chose to assess this year of Alphas. Your year."

Nero gazed at Otto. The boy had suddenly gone very pale, and Nero could almost see his brain ticking over, weighing up the risks. Nero had considered not telling Otto the truth - he knew that several years on, Otto still found his links to Overlord painful to talk about – but if the Record Keeper really was coming to stay, then the boy would need to be so _so_ careful.

"I see, sir." Otto said shortly, biting his lip. "And as much as I would like to never have to meet this 'Record Keeper', it doesn't look like I have much of a choice. I appreciate the warning, and I'll be on my guard. But right now, I'd like to get back to my friends, please." He gave a weak smile. "It's board-game night, and I'm letting the side down."

"Of course," Nero said, standing up and opening the door for Otto, "but remember, not a word to them about any of this."

Otto paused on the threshold and turned to Nero. "I said that I wanted to talk to you about the assessment too, sir." He said.

"Yes, what is it?" Nero asked.

"You said that the Assessor would decide our rank and role in G.L.O.V.E. after we left H.I.V.E." Otto said.

"Yes, I did say that…" Nero said.

Otto looked Nero in the eye. "But G.L.O.V.E. is dead, sir. You dissolved it years ago."

"And may I enquire as to the source of this knowledge?" Nero's voice had turned suddenly cold.

"If you didn't want me to keep up to date on the political happenings of the villainous world then you really shouldn't have expelled me sir. I spent a year on the outside, remember?" Otto's tone was light, but his eyes flashed dangerously.

"While you are correct in the opinion that the ruling council has been… disbanded… you are mistaken in the presumption that G.L.O.V.E. is dead."Nero said. Otto raised a sceptical eyebrow. "The embers are still glowing, waiting to be breathed back into life."

"Nice analogy, sir, but the fact remains that all of the other Alphas believe that they're going to be funnelled into an organisation that doesn't exist any more. You're lying to them about their future, and the charade can't last forever."

Nero glared at the boy. "Yes, I am lying to them, and that is my choice to make, Mr Malpense. Might I remind you that you have neither the position nor the authority to question that."

Otto's smile was cold. "Question you, _never_ sir. I just wouldn't want to be the one to tell them at graduation."

* * *

"How was your visit to Nero?" Wing asked Otto as he walked up to the couches where his friends were sitting in Accommodation Block Seven. They seemed to be absorbed in a rather intense and highly competitive game of snakes and ladders. Wing was in a team with Shelby and Nigel was partnered with Franz. Otto usually played with Laura, but she was on her own tonight.

"It was okay." Otto replied, looking distracted.

"Yeah, what did he want – we haven't done anything in ages!" Shelby demanded.

"Oh, he was just asking if I could sort out some gremlins in H.I.V. 's system, that's all." Otto replied.

"Hey, want a hand?" Laura smiled.

"I'll be fine - they're pretty minor. Thanks for the offer though." Laura's expression fell slightly.

"Not _another_ snake!" Nigel's voice erupted from the other end of the table.

"It is not my fault that the dice are slipping!" Franz said indignantly. "This is very much the game of luck!"

"Aye," Laura grinned, "it's lucky you're back Otto – it's our turn. And besides, someone's got to stop Wing and Shel from winning _again_!"

"Just because you cannot progress beyond the first row of snakes…" Wing smiled slightly.

"We've only been playing for a few minutes!" Laura protested. "And I have to ask… how did you get to the top of the board so quickly?"

"Through completely honourable methods." Wing said.

"No cheating then, I presume?" Laura laughed at the uncomfortable look on Wing's face.

"Hey, we're at _H.I.V.E._, remember?" Shelby grinned, "Does it matter if we cheat?"

"I guess not." Laura conceded with a smile, "Hey Otto, come join, we're a person down." She gestured at the seat beside her.

"Nah, sorry, I'm not feeling too good. I think I might just call it a night." Otto said, giving her a weak smile.

"Is there any way in which I can help?" Wing asked, looking concerned.

"It's fine, I should probably just go and get some rest before the assessment tomorrow." Otto said, moving to leave. "Night guys."

"Night." They said in chorus, watching in troubled silence as he moved across the cavern.

"He's keeping something from us, isn't he?" Laura said, not taking her eyes off Otto.

"Yes." Wing replied, his brow furrowed. "I am going to go and see if he is okay." They all bid him goodnight, and he followed his friend to their room.

"So much for games night." Laura sighed.


End file.
